Stay Scam Alert
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Play Defense
Here are the steps you can take to avoid being scammed:
- If you receive a free check in the mail, it’s best to throw it away. If you take it to the bank, ask that it be verified and do not withdraw your own funds until the check has cleared, which can take days or even weeks.
- Never wire transfer funds to an unknown agent or person.
- Exercise caution when evaluating an employment opportunity, especially if the employer does not appear to screen applicants.
- Never pay any money to claim a prize or get a job.
- If you get a “phishing” email warning that an account of yours will be shut down unless you reconfirm your billing information, do not reply or click on the link in the email. Instead, contact the company cited in the email using a telephone number or Web site address you know to be genuine.
- Avoid emailing personal and financial information. Before submitting financial information through a Web site, look for the "lock" icon on the browser's status bar. It signals that your information is secure during transmission.
- If the offer is to join a lottery club, don’t give out your credit card and bank account numbers. Scam artists may ask for this information with a promise to deposit your “winnings” into your account, but they just want the information so that they can take money out of your account.